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fharpening the note which is 4th of the fcale, or 8ve to the fundamental, while the bafs note, the 6th of the fcale remains unaltered. This paffage gives a ftriking cadence, and frequently a paufe or divifion in the mufic, which however is never final, nor fatisfactory, but leaves the hearer in exp ctation of fomething that is to follow, and may therefore be called a medial cadence or clofe, to distinguish it from one that is final.

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149. Ia both the modes of mufic, it is ufual to take the 6th of the fcale, for the bafs note of the leading chord of a medial cadence upon the 5th. This note and its 6th, or 4th of the scale, which is always a conttituent note of the chord, proceed to the following chord by contrary motion, the former falling to the 5th or fundamental of the chord, while the latter rifes to its 8ve." P. 218.

In the fubfequent paragraphs, which refer to the engraved plates, the chord of the Italian fixth, F A D fharp, and the fuperfluous fixth, F A B D fharp, are both explained.

The Introduction concludes with the following analysis of these chords.

"153. It appears then, that the chord of fuperfluous 6th, has for its bafs note, the minor 6th of the fcale for the time; and that the note which forms with this bafs note the interval of fuperfluous 6th, is the 4th of the fcale, purpofely fharpened. With thefe is joined the major 3d to the bafs note or tonic of the fcale. This forms, with the fharpened 4th, the interval of tritone, when it is below it, or of falfe 5th, when it is above it, which intervals are refpectively refolved into minor 6th and major 3d; while, by the bafs note defcending a femitone, the interval of fuperfluous 6th, is refolved into Sve. In fongs, and other music, in which a foft and delicate accompaniment is required, no more notes are generally taken in this chord and refolution, and the chord is then the proper Italian 6th. When a reinforcement or emphasis is required, the 3d may be doubled, or its 8ve added. In inftrumental mufic, and even in vocal mufic, where a ftill ftronger expreffion is wanted, it is ufual to add another real note to this chord. This may be the tritone to the bafs note or 2d of the fcale, that being a conflituent note, and fometimes confidered as the fundamental of the fubdominant chord, from which our chord is derived. Although, however, this combination is generally prescribed and exemplified by mafters, it very feldom appears in mufical compofitions. The double tritone which occurs in it, gives it a harsh and unpleasant effect. It has, therefore, become the general practice, amongst the best compofers, to fubftitute for this note the minor zd above it, or the note which is minor 3d of the feale, and perfect 5th to the bafs note above. Here, befides the fuperfluous 6th and tritone, we find another difcordant interval, viz. that of fuperfluous or augmented 2d, fubfitting betwixt the fubftituted note and fharpened 4th of the fcale, which is duly refolved, by contrary motion, into perfect fourth. Thus each of the four notes, of which this chord is compofed, moves a femitone in the refolution, the bass note and its

3d and 5th defcending, while the fuperfluous 6th afcends. The 8ve to the bafs note can scarcely be admitted into this chord.

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153. The particular expreffion of thefe chords, and the number of femitonic movements which take place in their refolution, have led muficians to introduce them frequently into mufic of the major mode. They do this by flattening the 6th of the fcale, for the time, and occafionally alfo the 3d, and combining thefe with the key note and harpened 4th.

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154. The different forms of medial cadence, may be used in ac companying the minor defcending scale. The forms in which the 4th of the fcale is unaltered, are now confidered as fomewhat antiquated, and feldom appear but in ecclefiaftical, or other ferious mufic. The others being thought to give the mufic an air of modern refinement, are more frequently used+.

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155. The fuperfluous 6th and minor 7th, being of the fame extent, are mutually convertible; and by fuch converfions, unexpected tranfitions of the mufic, into diftant keys, may be effected." P. 223.

A fhort view of modulation is, however, annexed (p. 239) introductory to the feventh game, in which the progreffions by 5ths increafing by fharps, and thofe by 4th increasing by flats, are given in both modes. This ought to have made a regular part of the fyftem, and to have preceded the chords by licence.

We cannot conclude our remarks upon the prefent work, without congratulating the lovers of fcience on that fpirit of analyfis which has of late been excited in refpect to musical harmony. The laft century has been fertile in theories, and if all the doctrines of Rameau and Tartini have not been admitted, yet the practical utility of their fpeculations have shown their fyflems in a light far fuperior to the vain and fruitJefs fubtleties of the Pythagoreans, Rouffier, La Borde, and Bemetzrieder, and their Ptolemaic adverfaries, Balliere, Jamard, and Feytou.

"Although thefe are the proper and natural progreffions of the feveral notes of our chord, compofers are in ufe frequently to interrupt, for a time, or fufpend fome of them, particularly the 3d and 5th of the chord. They thus obtain a chord of, to the new bafs (5th of the fcale) which afterwards paffes into that of 5, the proper chord of refolution. By this means they avoid the confecution of 5ths, which however, being occafioned by the refolution of a difcord, does not give great offence. This fufpenfion is chiefly practifed when the chord of fuperfluous 6th is introduced, as a fubdominant chord, to prepare a

cadence or clefe.

"This chord is feldom or never inverted.-An inftance, however, of its inverfion, occurs in the 4th bar of the fecond part of the Minuet Trio of Haydn's 8th Symphony, compofed for Salomon's Concert, in which the bafs takes the tonic."

Mrs.

Mrs. G. may reft affured, that her doctrines will certainly furvive the difputes, whether perfect fifths are reconcileable with perfect thirds; and whether the falfe feventh, eleventh, and thirteenth of the horn or trumpet Icale, are parts of a true fyftem of mufic.

ART. IX. The Poetical Works of Charles Churchill, with explanatory Nates; and an authentic Account of his Life, now first published. In Two Volumes. 8vo. 425 and 416 pp. 18s. Baldwins. 1804.

T is indeed very true, as the present editor obferves, that the poems of Churchill have become difficult to be understood, on account of the many temporary allufions which they contain. We do not, however, expect, with Dr. Kippis, whom he cites, that his memory will be materially revived by an explanatory edition. Though the knowledge may be recovered, the intereft cannot be revived; and it is that circumftance which is fatal to the permanency of pocts, whofe fubjects are individual characters, and paffing events. Deceafed actors, and departed politicians, are beings almoft equally uninterefting; and perfonal fatire, when neither envy nor hatred can be gratified by it, becomes a mere caput mortuum. It is true, that the compofitions of Churchill are vigorous, his expreffions ftrong, his poetical conception vivid, his verfification fufficiently polished for the purpose, and better than polished; pointed, and energetic. Yet when these inftruments are employed to praife or cenfure men, whom the prefent generation neither loves nor fears; or measures which no longer bear upon the actual interests of mankind, their effect is nearly loft. Men will not ftudy to be pleafed; they must be pleased with the ftudy, or it will be foon relinquifhed.

We give credit, however, to the editor, Mr. W. T. (which we interpret, William Tooke) for the diligence he has employed to illuftrate his favourite bard. "In the attempt", he fays," he was obliged to wade through fome hundred volumes, moftly of a local or political nature, and confequently, at this time, either very fcarce, or quite neglected and forgotten." Much indeed might ftill be learned from oral information, and though the editor himself may be young, he must have relatives to whom the perfons and the facts of which Churchill writes, must be intimately known; but perhaps it was more prudent to rely on printed documents, fince they who remembered the times, might ftill be biaffed by their partialities.

We

We fee with pleasure, that, in writing the life of his author, this editor has been careful to mark the evil effects of thofe deviations from rectitude which difgraced, and probably shortened the life of the poet. On his early and imprudent marriage, he fays,

"to this premature and inconfiderate measure, moft of the difficulties in which our author was afterwards involved may fairly be afcribed; and, in his endeavours to forget or elude thofe difficulties, he acquired fuch habits of diffipation as indirectly terminated his life." P. vii.

In this fpirit, the character of the author and his writings is drawn with equal fidelity.

"On a fhort review of Churchill's writings, we must pronounce them to be like his life, irregular, unequal, and inconfiftent. In the fame page may frequently be contrafted the ftrength, fire, and brilliancy of Dryden, to the roughness of Oldham and of Donne. In either cafe, however, a noble vein of moral fatire pervades his poems, and he in them ftands forth the undaunted bard of liberty, the fcourge of tyranny, and the firm friend to the laws and conftitution of his country. Led away by the enthufiafm of friendship, Churchill occafionally fullied and deferted thefe noble principles, by adopting the libellous and factious language of the profligate fupporters of a good caufe. Unfortunately we cannot affert the patriotifm of our author, without impeaching his understanding, when we feel ourfelves compelled to acknowledge him as the dupe of a defigning demagogue. This, however, we believe to have been the fact, for while we cannot but regret the numerous errors and irregularities too apparent in the conduct of our author; we yet fee no traces of fyftematic vice or deception in his difpofition. This was frank and open in the extreme; to hypocrify he was an utter franger, his great failing, and the original fource of his misconduct, was the paying an inconfiderate and implicit obedience to the dictates of a heart, which was naturally found, but which, under the influence of his witty and diffolute companions, took a wrong bias, and from that period progreffively diverged farther and farther from the path of virtue." P. xlvii.

In thefe memoirs, we do not find many things erroneous; and we conceive them to be, on the whole, the moft faithful that have appeared. What is faid, indeed, in p. v. on his applying for matriculation at Oxford, and being repulfed, is undoubtedly wrong. We conceive it to be founded on the circum. ftance of his flanding for a fellow fhip at Merton College, when he was only in the fecond election at Weftminfter*, in which, being oppofed by candidates of fuperior age, he was not chofen; but without any ftigma for deficiency. At matriculation, in our universities, there is no examination which could lead to a re

That is, between two and three years from the regular time for leaving the fchoo!.

jection:

jection and Churchill always fhowed both talents and scholarhip fully equal to his age and fituation at school. We conceive also that he could not have ftaid there to the age of nineteen, as he went away before the regular time.

These facts

we learn from a person who was at school with him.

In the notes fubjoined by the prefent editor to the poems of Churchill, a prodigious quantity of perfonal and literary hiftory is contained; a convenient key to which is offered in an Index, fubjoined to the fecond volume. The introductory note or argument to each poem opens the occafion and the fubje&t to the reader. From this part of the work we fhall give a fpecimen of its execution; for to what purpose fhould we quote from Churchill, whom it is not our province to cenfure or commend? We take for our purpose the editor's introduction to the Prophecy of Famine.

"Mr. Wilkes pronounced of this poem before its appearance in Jan. 1763, "that he was fure it would take, as it was at once perfonal, poetical, and political:" his prediction was accomplished. The Prophecy of Famine almoft exceeded the Rofciad in popularity, and in extent of circulation; but, like that poem, excited a number of inferior writers to draw their pens in praife, cenfure, or imitation of our coloffal bard. The titles of these productions are preferved in the periodical publications of the day, but the works themfelves fleep with their fathers. Of fuch productions and their authors, Churchill might with propriety have faid with Lord Shaftesbury," that he would never reply, unless he should hear of them or their works in any good company a twelvemonth after."

"In a letter to Wilkes, previous to the publication of this poem, Churchill writes: "Think not that the Scottish Eclogue totally ftands ftill, or that I can ever be unmindful of any thing which I think will give Wilkes pleasure, and which I am certain will do me honor in having his name prefixed. The prefent ftate of it, however, ftands thus:it is fplit into two poems-the Scottish Eclogue, which will be infcribed to you in the paftoral way-and another poem, which I think will be a strong one, immediately addreffed by way of Epittle to you this way they will be both of a piece, otherwife it

would have been

Delphinum fylvis appingit, fluctibus aprum.

"The Paftoral begins thus, and I believe will be out foon, but nothing comes out till I begin to be pleased with it myself :-

"When Cupid first inftructs," &c.

"The other runs thus:

"From folemn thought," &c.

"Can Wilkes?—I know thou canft-retreat awhile,

Learn pity's leffon, and difdain to smile."

"Oft have I heard thee," &c.

N

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXV. FEB. 1805.

"This

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